JERUSALEM – Russia will urge Hamas leaders to abandon terrorism when they visit Moscow at President Vladimir Putin’s invitation, a Kremlin spokesman said yesterday – even as Israeli Cabinet Minister Meir Sheetrit called the overture an “international scandal” and the equivalent of “stabbing Israel in the back.”

Putin stunned the West Thursday by saying other countries should respect the change in Hamas’ stature brought on by its victory in last month’s Palestinian elections.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the Kremlin had promised the United States that Hamas would receive a firm message at the meeting with Russian leaders.

“We have been assured that, should the Russian government meet with Hamas, the meeting would be with the intent of sending that clear, strong message,” spokesman Sean McCormack said.

Israeli officials said Putin’s break with his former hard line against the terrorist group may be the result of a recent policy change aimed at widening the dialogue between the Kremlin and Russia’s millions of Muslims.